Officials are investigating a suicide that took place at Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme on Saturday morning, a base spokeswoman said.

Naval Criminal Investigative Services were called about 7 a.m. when a 73-year-old Army retiree shot himself to death in the main commons area inside the Sunkist gate entrance, said Kimberly Gearhart, public affairs officer.

The gate was the only one open on weekends, and the man drove in and parked his car near the Navy Exchange and the commissary area of the base, Gearhart said. He stepped out of his car and shot himself.

The gate was closed between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m., and traffic was diverted to a different gate, Gearhart said.

No one else was hurt, but several people witnessed the event, Gearhart said.

The cause of death is thought to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Gearhart said.